Have you ever
wanted to be Rick in The Walking Dead
so you can make different or better decisions? Now you can with The Best Defense board game. This game
is a 1-4 player co-operative-style game were players take on the roles of Rick,
Glenn, Andrea, Michonne, Daryl, or Maggie to protect the four locations from
zombies while managing the resources in those areas. You’ll use 4 different
types of resources (Weapons, Ammunition, Allies, and Food) to combat zombies
and Event Card obstacles. Survive 12 rounds without everyone dying and at least
one card in each of the resource supplies and you win!

SETUP

An average setup
time is roughly 5-7 minutes. Much of that time is shuffling the 4 resource
stacks and Event Cards. After selecting survivors, you’ll randomly place the 4
location tiles in a square, then randomly place the resource decks next to the
locations so that each location has 1 resource. After divvying out hit points
(5), allies (2), and food (2), you’ll roll to place some zombies to begin the
game. When you’ve gotten the hang of the setup, expect the initial set up time
to drop.

GAMEPLAY

During each round,
there is a leader who passes out Event Cards, controls movement, and makes all final
decisions in case of a disagreement. Before you start the round, it’s a good
idea to make sure everyone knows about the Leader’s special ability. For
example, Andrea can heal 1 hit point to anyone before her turn starts as the
leader. Some abilities are useful during combat. After reading the ability, strategy
is discussed with others (or yourself if solo). Event Cards are then dealt.

The leader goes
first and the turn is as follows:

1)The
leader may move survivors to adjacent locations

2)The
leader may draw from the resource deck.

3)If
the leader chooses, they may trade with another survivor (at the same
location).

4)Then
both Event Cards are played.

Once the leader takes their turn, non-leaders may do
the following:

1)The
survivor may defy the leader by paying 1 food. This allows the player to move
their survivor to an adjacent location.

2)The
survivor may draw from the resource deck.

3)If
the survivor chooses, they may trade with another survivor (at the same
location).

4)Then
ONE of the Event Cards is played.

After all the turns are taken, it’s time for the
combat phase. Players choose what weapon they wish to use and expend ammo (if
applicable). Dice are rolled. For every roll of five (single dice or added
together), one zombie is dispatched. Some weapons allow player rolls to be
added to the group total in a single location. You can also use Allies to add 1
to the total of any dice.

The combat phase transitions into the zombie’s turn.
Survivors will absorb damage from zombies if they are in the same locations.
One zombie equals one hit point, which can be split between survivors at that
locations. If there are no survivors, then any zombies left at the areas “eat”
one resource card per zombie. So you see where the delicate balance of killing
zombies to halt them from eating resource cards is just as important as staying
alive. Things can go haywire because of the Event Cards, as most add zombies to
locations, so undead management is significant, otherwise they can overrun your
resources.

Once every survivor has had a turn, then the leader token
moves to the next survivor, the round tracker moves up, and you can pay one
food to heal one hit point. Then a new round begins!

If you want to ramp up the difficulty, there is a
Beginner mode (players share Event Cards before decisions are made) and Expert
mode (no information on Event Cards is shared). You can also choose to play
with the Ulterior Motive cards. These cards give the players a unique goal to
achieve. If the player completes the mission, the they can score a partial
victory.

SOLO
PLAY

I’ve played The Best Defense both solo and
multiplayer, and I prefer solo. I often play with 1 or 2 survivors, but I’ve
been known to be a little cheeky and play 3 or 4. For me, the challenge of
winning a game is more satisfying due to the chaos that can ensue. There are
times when you look at what’s in front of you and think, There’s no way I can survive this round. It’s bleak, there’s no
hope. But somehow, someway, you find a method to live just one more round.

There are a few
changes in the rules for solo play. First, if there are 5 or fewer zombies in
play, you MUST play both Event Cards; otherwise you choose which one to play.
Second, when you taking a resource card, you can leave it at the location for
another survivor to pick up instead of grabbing from the resource deck. Lastly,
at the beginning of the game you draw 2 equipment cards instead of 1.

FINAL
THOUGHTS

The
Walking Dead: The Best Defense is a solid
co-operative game. For soloists, the challenges and decision-making will appeal
to most who like these types of games. The game does require some luck on the
part of combat rolls and rolls to add zombies; however, you still need to make
good choices and often think about the next round or two. Whether you’re
playing 1, 2, 3, or 4 survivors, coordinating their abilities, managing weapons,
ammo, and resources with each other can test your resolve. If you’re a fan of The Walking Dead and a fan of
cooperative games with solo options, then I recommend The Best Defense.

SCORE

3.5 out of 5 We
Roll Solos

PROS

*Challenging solo play

*Easy and fast setup time

*Play your favorite The Walking Dead characters! (Except
Carl. No one wants to play